Friday, 14 August 2015

5 reasons to visit The Heineken Experience in Amsterdam

Free beer, fooseball tables, a make-your-own-video section, a 4-D movie and a chance to create your own beer bottle—The Heineken Experience is a must for the bucket list of all those who love beer. Although the exterior of the building says ‘Brouwery’, it now serves as a tourist attraction that features interactive exhibits on the history of the brand and the brewing process of this centuries-old beer, all spread over four levels. Here’s my list of five reasons this tour cannot be missed if you’re visiting Amsterdam.

1) For the free beer
Should I even bother with the remaining four? Once you’re done with the tour, you can head to the Tasting Room, where you can enjoy a few chilled glasses of Heineken beer. While there, you can also learn how to pour beer the right way and how to correctly skim the foam on top. Or just sit back and drink up! *hic*

2) To taste ‘wort’
During your tour of the brewing process—that includes video demonstrations carefully fitted inside the massive brass tanks used in the former brewery—you will be able to taste ‘wort’, a mixture of water and barley that has been heated and filtered. A unique facet of beer preparation that we as laypersons are not privy too, it’s interesting to know how the taste begins to develop from here on. Fair warning though, it is quite bitter.

3) To see the vintage packaging and the Heineken ad reel from the 50s
I love all things vintage, so I thoroughly enjoyed perusing through the old posters, cans and bottles created by Heineken over the decades. You can see how the logo has changed and the many different bottle designs the brand has created. I also loved the pod-like viewing chair that is fitted with a mini TV screen playing the Heineken ad reel starting from the 50s.

4) To send fun videos and karaoke numbers

If you want to make your friends ‘green’ (the Heineken colour) with envy, head to the fun interactive media centre and create music videos, do a karaoke number or click crazy photographs of yourself and send it to your friends instantly.

5) To create your own bottle of beer
One of the most intriguing sections of this tour is the Brew U section, where you can create your very own personalised beer bottle etched with your name on it. It does come at an extra cost, but how often do you get to have a beer customised with your name on it?